Diversity in schools gets push

Task force recommends 10 steps to improvement

Posted: Sunday, May 25, 2003

By Alisa DeMaoademao@onlineathens.com

Concrete action that proves more than just lip service on diversity - that's the central theme of 10 recommendations to the Clarke County school board from a task force that's spent a year studying problems and community attitudes about race in schools.

Those recommendations include hiring a director of diversity, setting up family resource centers in schools and including ''cultural competence'' in staff performance evaluations.

A 20-page report presented to the school board Thursday night by the Clarke County School District Multicultural Task Force provided additional suggestions for boosting diversity and, in some cases, included deadlines for action as early as the beginning of the 2003-04 school year.

The task force also recommended that diversity efforts be codified in district policy and that the task force, itself, become a permanent advisory council to the board and the superintendent.

''It is evident that while CCSD (the Clarke County School District) offers quality education for many students, for far too many students - especially children from African-American and Hispanic families - education in CCSD has failed them,'' the report's introduction said, citing high-school completion rates of just over 50 percent and area demographics on who finishes high school.

''This is extremely critical and important, and I think that one of the primary aspects of (the report) is that it really does define the problem the district needs to work on, which is the racial and ethnic disparity in achievement,'' said Talmadge Guy, a professor in the University of Georgia's College of Education who headed the task force with Jose Boza, director of the school district's instructional services department. ''As far as I'm aware, that's not been done before - not this way.

''You can't solve a problem until you name it.''

The school board took the report under consideration and will have to formally accept the recommendations at an upcoming meeting.

Suggestions with a price tag attached, including a plan to hire a diversity director, will have to be decided on within the next month, if they're to be included in the 2003-04 budget.

''I think these recommendations are reasonable, they're doable, and they're right on target, where the district needs to be going,'' Superintendent Lewis Holloway said.

The task force, comprising more than 30 school workers and community members, was created a year ago in the wake of three discrimination complaints by school principals against the district.

Members conducted individual interviews, focus groups and research with parents, students and other community members to learn what common perceptions and problems in the school district were, and found a dividing line in matters of race and ethnicity, Guy said.

Perceptions of the school system included a lack of racial, gender and ethnic diversity among teachers and a feeling that parents were unable to get involved in their children's schools.

The focus groups, which included students, also said they felt that students were treated differently because of their race and that some races didn't have as much access to academic activities or to sports and other extracurricular activities.

The task force's recommendations included:

Adoption of a policy that addresses diversity and equity, and incorporating diversity goals in the existing district-wide strategic plan and school-based improvement plans.

Hiring a permanent director of diversity who would be in charge of assessments, establishing goals and coordinating diversity initiatives. The estimated $85,000 in salary and benefits is already under consideration by the school board for the 2003-04 budget. When asked whether the position could be part-time, Guy emphasized to board members that it should be a full-time position.

Establishing performance evaluations for all district staff, including the superintendent and principals, that includes ''cultural competence'' criteria, or an understanding and ability to work with cultural differences.

Developing and implementing a recruitment plan focusing on minority populations, including African-American and Latino candidates.

Hiring more bilingual staff.

Establishing diverse interview committees for all leadership positions that include members from the school district and from the community.

Adopting a policy requiring diversity training as part of ongoing professional development.

Improving communications with parents and the community, in order to build trust, develop common goals and increase access to information, including establishing a community relations advisory council and regular community forums.

Accelerating efforts to develop closer ties between schools, parents and families. An additional suggestion was to identify a person at each school to act as a primary contact between teachers and parents on issues of diversity.

Establishing centers devoted to family and parent involvement, including providing information on family services, similar to existing family resource centers at Chase Street, Gaines and Alps Road elementary schools.